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Business

Wednesday

National

School Buses Run Up High Fuel Bills

School buses are rolling on the first day of school in Oxford County, Maine, but the district has banned field trips and told drivers they may not idle their engines. Even with these fuel-saving measures, school officials are reeling from the high cost of diesel in Maine and around the nation. Charlotte Albright of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network reports.

School Buses Run Up High Fuel Bills

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National

Port Fourchon Seeks to Shake Off Hurricane

Many oil refineries remain engulfed in water along Louisiana's coast. Ted M. Falgout, executive director of Louisiana's Port Fourchon, assesses the condition of the facility and the state of the waterways leading to the port.

Port Fourchon Seeks to Shake Off Hurricane

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Katrina & Beyond

Katrina's Insurance Cost May Surpass Andrew's

Katrina's cost to insurers is estimated at $15 billion, but the total may rise to match or pass the $21 billion price tag attributed to Hurricane Andrew. Robert Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute tells Renee Montagne how the costs are assessed.

Katrina's Insurance Cost May Surpass Andrew's

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Economy

Gas Prices Rise Sharply; Bush to Tap Reserves

The Bush administration will open the nation's strategic petroleum reserve and suspend some air-quality regulations in an effort to control soaring gasoline prices driven by Hurricane Katrina. The price of a gallon of unleaded gas shot up to more than $3 per gallon in many areas.

Gas Prices Rise Sharply; Bush to Tap Reserves

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Your Money

Retirement: Timing Is Everything

With the oldest baby-boomers nearing retirement age, NPR explores some of the questions that surround retirement, beginning with how to pay for it. NPR's Scott Horsley begins our series with a profile of the Baker family of Orange County, Calif. John Baker is about to turn 65. His wife, Christine, is 61; they are both are looking forward to a time when they can take it easy.

Retirement: Timing Is Everything

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Katrina & Beyond

The Marketplace Report: Opening Up the Reserves

Alex Chadwick talks to Bob Moon of Marketplace, reporting from New York City, about Wednesday's announcement the U.S. federal government will open up the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to at least one U.S. oil refiner suffering shortages from Hurricane Katrina.

The Marketplace Report: Opening Up the Reserves

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Your Money

Retirement: Those Who Save Ahead

Robert Siegel talks with Dallas Salisbury, president and CEO of the Employee Benefit Research Institute, about retirement planning in the United States. Salisbury talks about who is saving, who is not, and how much people are actually putting away.

Retirement: Those Who Save Ahead

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Tuesday

Economy

Gauging Katrina's Effect on Oil Prices

Oil prices rise as traders await reports of damage to production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. At least eight refineries in the path of Hurricane Katrina shut down or reduced operations. Energy consultant David Purcell, of Pickering Energy Partners, talks about how the damage from Hurricane Katrina is affecting oil production and prices.

Gauging Katrina's Effect on Oil Prices

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Opinion

A Mixed Bag in Williams' Blog

Commentator Judy Muller has been reading NBC anchorman Brian Williams' new Web blog, and she's not sure she likes where this new journalistic medium is going. The postings often detail newsroom discussions over what stories should lead the broadcast.

A Mixed Bag in Williams' Blog

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Economy

Gulf Coast Oil Industry Assesses Damages

Oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico and nearby refineries are an important source of fuel for U.S. energy needs. Energy companies are trying to determine how much damage Hurricane Katrina has done to their pipelines, drilling platforms and refineries.

Gulf Coast Oil Industry Assesses Damages

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The Marketplace Report: Struggling Major Airlines

The one-two punch of Hurricane Katrina and soaring oil prices is giving the beleaguered U.S. airline industry a crippling blow. And with the approach a traditionally slow travel season at the end of summer, a few major carriers are flirting with bankruptcy. Alex Chadwick discusses the future of some struggling airlines with Bob Moon of Marketplace.

The Marketplace Report: Struggling Major Airlines

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The Color of Money

Splitting the Dinner Check

Day to Day personal finance contributor Michelle Singletary talks with Alex Chadwick about how to deal with the dinner check at a restaurant without being rude, or spending too much. Singletary writes the syndicated column "The Color of Money" for The Washington Post.

Splitting the Dinner Check

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Law

KPMG Admits Creating Fraudulent Tax Shelters

Accounting firm KPMG appears to have escaped criminal prosecution for marketing what it admits were fraudulent tax shelters. The government has agreed to set those charges aside. But the company will have to pay $456 million in fines, and eight former executives still face charges.

KPMG Admits Creating Fraudulent Tax Shelters

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